'Inevitable Exploitation'

Editor:

Thanks to Patty Harvey for her descriptive article about the privatization of Medicare (“California Says No to Privatizing Medicare,” Sept. 21). As noted, privatizing Medicare is already underway with a goal of total implementation in seven years. Corporate greed, detrimental to seniors, sits on our horizon if this is allowed to happen. It bears a resemblance to the profit over people in local skilled nursing facilities where residents are at the mercy of a corporate owner with billionaire status achieved on the backs of people with varying states of disability and likely without visible care for their welfare. Similarly, corporate ownership of senior mobile home parks has resulted in space rents rising toward unaffordable levels, thus diminishing that housing option for many seniors. Recently corporate invasion of hospice programs has also become known along with the familiar demand for increased profit.

Thanks to state Sen. Mike McGuire for his involvement in recent California legislation aimed to protect Medicare. It is only through legislation that seniors have hope for maintaining traditional Medicare and avoiding inevitable exploitation if corporate takeover of this valuable health insurance happens.

Lynn Crosthwait, Fortuna